The use of protective surface compositions is well known in the prior art and is commercially demonstrated by the availability of various products sold under the trademarks SON-OF-A-GU.RTM. (a trademark of First Brands Properties Inc.) and ARMOR ALL.RTM. (a trademark of Armor All Products Corporation). The aforementioned products are well known as providing a silicone-oil based spray-on protectant to provide gloss (an asthetic appearance property) and a protectant film to rubber polymer, and other surfaces. Representative of the well known use of such protectant products is for use on automotive parts such as automobile tires, vinyl tops, vinyl dashboards, vinyl upholstery, rubber sealing strips, rubber and or polymer bumpers and the like and, also, their use on synthetic rubbers, wood, painted surfaces, leather and the like in the home.
The nature of such protectant compositions is generally known from the prior art. For example, the packaging for ARMOR ALL.RTM. brand protectant lists U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,956,174 and 4,133,921 as covering the commercial product. U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,174 discloses a preservative composition consisting essentially of an emulsion of at least one water emulsifiable organopolysiloxane fluid having a viscosity of from about 100 to about 10,000 centistokes and, based on the weight of the polysiloxane fluid from about 65% to about 5,000% by weight of water: and from about 15% to about 65% by weight based on the weight of the polysiloxane fluid of at least one water miscible polyol compound. In addition, incorporation of diethylene glycol (as a polyol) and glycerin (as a polyol) are stated to be beneficial. In fact, claims 1, 2, 4 and 5 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,174 were disclaimed by the patentee whereby only a composition containing the aforementioned organopolysiloxane, diethylene glycol and glycerin is covered by U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,174. U.S. Pat. No. is a division of U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,174 and discloses the process of applying the organopolysiloxane/diethylene glycol/glycerin composition of U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,174 to a surface to preserve and renew the surface. U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,333 discloses an emulsion coating composition (emulsion) containing silicone fluids, a cleaning solvent, water, surfactant and an acrylic polymer which is soluble in the cleaning solvent. The cleaning solvent is present in an amount from about 5-65% by weight if the emulsion is an oil-in-water emulsion and from about 15-90% by weight if the emulsion is a water-in-oil emulsion. At column 3, line 22, to column 4,line 8 these required solvents are described as having good cleaning characteristics. Representative solvents are stated to include hydrocarbons and particularly isoparaffinic hydrocarbons, naphtha, Stoddard solvent, kerosene, turpentine, aliphatic hydrocarbons and cycloaliphatic hydrocarbons.
In addition to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,956,174 and 4,133,921, the patent prior art discloses other preservative and/or coatings for rubber or vinyl surfaces. U.S. Pat. No. 3,527,723 discloses a coating composition containing about 0.55% to about 10 by weight emulsified organopolysiloxane oil and from 1% to about 20% by weight on an active resin basis of water reducible polyester resin having a set time of less than about 8 hours and a cure temperature from about 32 degree F. to about 120 degree F. and, optionally, a drying agent. Canadian Patent No. 1,176,828 discloses ultraviolet absorbent silicone based water emulsions for vinyl polishes comprising a polydimethylsiloxane oil or a blend of oils, sufficient water to form an aqueous continuous phase of said emulsion, an emulsifying agent and a silicon oil soluble ultraviolet light absorbing agent.
Although the preservative and treating compositions of the prior art have been useful in treating rubber and polymer surfaces, there is a continuing need for improving both the appearance and protection imparted by use of these products. The instant invention relates to a novel rubber and polymer preservative and protectant which provides long lasting gloss to treated surfaces and provides for improved abrasion protection over commercially available rubber and polymer preservatives and protectants.